In motor vehicles, charging of the combustion air in internal combustion engines has been used for a long time. As a result of the charging, for example by means of turbochargers or compressors, the charge air is intensely heated as a result of compression, however, so that this is disadvantageous for feeding into the internal combustion engine and for combustion there. Charge-air coolers, which are installed in the front of the vehicle as air-to-air heat exchangers, are known for the cooling of the charge air. To this end, a hose arrangement from the charger to the heat exchanger and from the heat exchanger to the internal combustion engine is required.
In addition, coolant-cooled charge-air coolers are also known and as air-to-coolant heat exchangers are fed with the normal coolant of the internal combustion engine or with a separate low-temperature coolant at a reduced temperature compared with the engine coolant. Alternatively, cooling can also be carried out with a refrigerant. These types of charge-air coolers are not specifically to be installed at the front of the vehicle but can also be installed close to the engine in the engine compartment, for example.
As a result of the air-to-coolant cooling method, the heat exchanger can also be of a compact construction, which increases its applicability and facilitates its positioning.
Such a compact type of construction is known from EP 1 707 311 A1, for example. This type of construction, however, has the advantage that both the tube-to-tubesheet sub-assembly and the housing encompassing this is produced from metal and soldered and even welded, whereas the inflow-side and outflow-side collector boxes are produced from plastic and are connected by means of a flange, with an interposed seal, to the tubesheet consisting of metal.
This brings along with it the disadvantage that a large number of different joining operations are necessary on a heat exchanger, which can be carried out on respectively different devices, therefore needing high investments and consequently the production is relatively time-consuming and expensive.